Meaning of historical in English:

historical

adjective

1Of or concerning history or past events.
‘historical evidence’
- ‘We give a little historical background to these events in our article Babylonian mathematics.’
- ‘Backed by a wealth of material, the book revealed in detail the historical facts concerning these events.’
- ‘Why should it be illegal to deny the existence of a historical event we all know took place?’
- ‘It is, supposedly, new and different and it would be inappropriate to set every event in its historical context.’
- ‘The girl will also tell the important historical events in India in the last 500 years.’
- ‘He said another important concern involves the two warships' historical background.’
- ‘Only later is the full historical significance of the event clearly evident.’
- ‘This may be due to the constant reminiscing of certain horrendous historical events.’
- ‘Second, Coerver and Hall exhibit a knack for casting recent events in historical perspective.’
- ‘They do not have the same concerns about historical objectivity that professional historians do.’
- ‘Contemporary historical sociology is concerned above all with how the state has developed since the Middle Ages.’
- ‘Many address recognizable contemporary events and the broad historical dynamics of cultural change.’
- ‘Until recently, the subject was studied as historical periods rather than particular units.’
- ‘We urge tram workers and all those looking for a way forward to turn to a study of these vital historical lessons.’
- ‘Studies based on historical records are necessarily limited in the kinds of questions they can answer.’
- ‘We begin with an analysis of the historical development of British industrial relations.’
- ‘Further insight can be gained by studying the historical development of an author's thought.’
- ‘Also, it is based more on historical developments than on religious teachings.’
- ‘The version presented here is based on United Nations historical documentations.’
- ‘Without it, York's historical fabric would have been ruined and its retail heart irreparably damaged.’
actual, existent, non-fictional, non-fictitious, factual
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1. 1.1Belonging to the past.
  ‘famous historical figures’
  ‘Our cast list expanded to include historical figures remembering the distant rather than the recent past.’
  ‘Belief in a religion is belief in an idea and in particular historical figures whether Muhammad, Christ or Joseph Smith.’
  ‘Years ago, authors used to take their time about writing about historical figures.’
  ‘Do you have a favourite place, food, drink or historical figure in Bulgaria that you will also remember?’
  ‘The burial ground of some of Carlow's leading historical figures is regularly the scene of attacks.’
  ‘Two historical figures, then, standout as examples and mentors for us today.’
  ‘It is not easy to get inside the head of a real-life historical figure but Galloway has accomplished this with absolute ease.’
  ‘To that end, Grass says they're playing the archetypes rather than the historical figures.’
  ‘The burial ground of some of the area's leading historical figures is regularly the scene of attacks.’
  ‘The actors discuss the challenges of playing recognisable historical figures.’
  ‘There's a speculative component to attempting to do diagnoses on historical figures.’
  ‘The audience surveys a melange of imaginary figures, and historical ones both famous and obscure.’
  ‘I'm sure that historical religious figures would be annoyed by all the din produced today.’
  ‘For the practitioner, it presents a landscape of historical figures that have made their mark.’
  ‘Ellroy pioneered the introduction of real historical figures and episodes into his novels.’
  ‘As with all great historical figures, the myth is both powerful and pervasive.’
  ‘You also console yourself with the knowledge that these are historical artefacts from a bygone era.’
  ‘But she says her love of the ancient sport traced back to a family passion for historical weaponry.’
  ‘The work opens up the world of this historical people, namely the ancient Greeks.’
  ‘This article is based on analysis of historical and contemporary data, including interviews and site visits.’
  past, bygone, ancient, old, former, prior, from the past
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2. 1.2(especially of a novel or film) set in the past.
  ‘His use of novels and historical narrative were essential to his reinvention of the Tory party.’
  ‘The festival will open with the historical film Vercingetorix, which was shot in Bulgaria.’
  ‘Priceless historical film rescued from a Blackburn rubbish skip will go on show to the public for the first time this week.’
  ‘She found a historical film made in 1959 by Belgian missionaries and took it to Rwanda.’
  ‘These three novels are historical in that they recall a life that no longer exists and recreate societies that are apparently past.’
  ‘She agrees with Jacobovici but she points out a crucial ingredient needed to make a historical film work.’
  ‘He was still completing the preliminary stages of getting in shape and watching all the relevant historical films.’
  ‘The play gave him the idea to write a historical thriller and combine both his history and English teaching experience in a novel.’
  ‘Politically it's no better or worse than any of those historical sagas, one can easily apply left or right wing analysis to it.’
  ‘I think the gist was that it's a historical story about immigrants coming to London.’
  ‘Prone to the legendary, it lacks credibility as a historical narrative.’
  ‘Literary enthusiasts eager to draw on such historical stories will be able to take advantage of the new Jerwood Centre.’
  ‘I plunged head first into this story after being inspired by other historical stories I have read.’
  ‘Combined they work out okay, but a truly historical or legendary film might have been cooler.’
  ‘Giggleswick writer Julie Majzlik found fame after penning three successful historical romance novels.’
  ‘The book was an instant success and was followed by eight more historical, romantic novels in five years.’
  ‘She wrote many other historical and romantic novels, including several sequels to The Scarlet Pimpernel.’
  ‘As a historical feature film, does it correctly capture the essence of the story?’
  ‘One would have to be very naive to expect any historical Hollywood film to be accurate.’
  ‘What about the real meaning of a historical record or a novel or a poem?’
3. 1.3(of the study of a subject) based on an analysis of its development over a period.
  ‘for the Darwinians, biogeography became a historical science’
  ‘Martha Treadway might seem at first to be an unlikely subject for historical study.’
  ‘They celebrated historical studies of science as ways of explaining the heroic progress of science towards truth.’
  ‘It is common practice in historical studies of the philosophy of science to contrast the views of Mill and Whewell.’
  ‘Even when pupils take historical studies, modern teaching methods may subvert the subject.’
  ‘This analysis of social change is based on a historical analysis of classes.’
  ‘But for historical studies, the main object of interest is ordinary civilian life.’
  ‘And so began intensive historical study of the gospels and their sources which continues to this day.’
  ‘Well all these predictions about death rates are based on historical analyses.’
  ‘That can make the historical study of empires frustrating, but is also part of what makes it ever-mobile and exciting.’
  ‘The role of cavalry was far more complicated and is well worth historical study.’
  ‘Certainly this is the way it has been portrayed in various historical studies of the press.’
  ‘The book consists of an interesting introduction followed by a biblical, theological and historical study.’
  ‘It is unquestionably one of the most important historical studies of recent years.’
  ‘He spoke of the historical studies with the sort of qualifiers that give one pause.’
  ‘The messages of historical studies in this field are, overall, rather mixed.’
  ‘Today, we have the tools of historical scholarship, biblical criticism, and science.’
  ‘He has done this in conjunction with more traditional historical studies.’
  ‘Until relatively recently, slavery was not a subject at the center of historical scholarship.’
  ‘It contains practical advice as well as literary and historical learning.’
  ‘He demonstrates that serious historical scholarship need not be indigestible.’
  documented, recorded, chronicled, attested, factual, verified, confirmed, archival, authentic, actual, true
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